A single-family office is appointing a Chief Financial Officer to run the office day to day and act as a true partner to its principal.
Location: Greater Philadelphia, PA (on site) · Reports to: the principal · Leads: a lean in-house team of around 13.
ABOUT THE FAMILY OFFICE
The family built its wealth over several decades by acquiring, turning around and selling industrial and financial services businesses, and has become increasingly liquid after a series of successful exits. The office now sits at the center of a multi-entity structure that includes:
- a small group of operating and private companies, some with international subsidiaries
- a multifamily real estate platform with an active development and acquisition pipeline
- a liquid, low-cost investment portfolio managed by an outsourced CIO (OCIO)
- around 15 family trusts and a family foundation
- aviation and marine operations with their own crews, an art collection, and the personal affairs of the principal and, occasionally, his brother
The office is lean, entrepreneurial and still evolving. Its day-to-day machinery works well; its structure, systems and leadership now need to keep pace with its complexity.
THE ROLE
This is a Head of Family Office role built on a CFO's toolkit, not an investment role. Portfolio management is outsourced to an OCIO; the CFO integrates it into the family's total financial picture and contributes to the Investment Committee.
The principal wants someone to own the internal running of the office so he can focus on investing, without having to chase for updates. The defining test: can this person take an issue or opportunity the principal raises and independently build the machinery to get it done?
The CFO joins a senior leadership group alongside in-house general counsel and a financial administration lead. They work closely with the real estate executives, an external accounting firm, the OCIO and a wide bench of advisers. Many workstreams are already in motion; the CFO's job is to own the full project portfolio, set priorities and make sure each item reaches completion.
PRIORITIES FOR THE FIRST 12–18 MONTHS
- Take ownership of the office's active project list across operations, trusts, tax, real estate, insurance and technology, with clear owners and deadlines.
- Review whether the reporting system, entity structure and banking set-up still fit the office, and act on the findings.
- Lead a live cross-border structuring project on the use of cash held by overseas subsidiaries.
- Embed treasury discipline around a long-range cash flow model by entity.
- Turn early AI initiatives into a practical, secure roadmap for the office and, where relevant, its companies.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership and running the office
- Lead and develop the in-house team across finance, accounting and administration, with clear ownership, deadlines and follow-through.
- Run the office's annual operating calendar: budgeting in November–December, the objectives review, trustee, Investment Committee and treasury meetings, and benefit plan reviews.
- Translate principal discussions into a prioritized list of actionable projects, and report progress so the principal never needs to chase.
- Oversee HR, payroll, benefits, the 401(k) plan, office and facilities, and outsourced IT and cybersecurity, without taking over each function.
- Shape the culture and build trust with the principal, the team and operating-company leadership.
Financial reporting, systems and data
- Own consolidated reporting across trusts, operating companies, investments, real estate, aviation, marine and personal assets, giving the principal one coherent picture.
- Decide whether the in-house reporting system and financial tools remain fit for purpose, and lead migrations where needed.
- Strengthen records management and document retention across entities and trusts.
- Drive secure AI adoption, including an intelligence layer over the office's historical data, with appropriate controls and governance.
Treasury, tax, trusts and structuring
- Lead quarterly treasury meetings and maintain a 10-year cash flow forecast by entity, covering liquidity needs at trust, family and company level.
- Oversee banking relationships, account structures and payment controls across entities and trusts.
- Hold full visibility over federal, state and international tax compliance and filings for every trust and entity.
- Drive tax planning with in-house counsel and the external accounting firm, including cross-border cash and interest-deductibility questions.
- Rationalize the entity structure, including winding down legacy entities that no longer serve a purpose.
- Support trust administration, distributions and resolutions, estate plan implementation and foundation record-keeping.
Investments, real estate and operating companies
- Sit on the Investment Committee and act as the main financial contact for the OCIO, investment managers and co-investment partners.
- Provide executive oversight of the multifamily platform alongside its leaders: business plan, monthly reporting, valuations, exit timing and a formal asset-management playbook.
- Join operating-company management meetings and add value on business plans, funding, financing and capital decisions.
- Maintain cap tables and records for direct private investments, and administer long-term incentive plans for portfolio-company executives.
Risk, insurance, legal and family assets
- Oversee an insurance program spanning commercial, real estate, aviation, marine, art and personal lines, including annual renewals and liability limits.
- Maintain financial oversight of aviation and marine operations: budgets, crew payroll, charter activity, flight-tax reporting and compliance.
- Keep visibility over litigation, claims and legal matters and their financial implications.
- Manage external advisers so they deliver outcomes, not just updates.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
- CFO or senior finance leader with direct single-family office experience, which is central to this brief.
- 15+ years of progressive finance leadership across a complex, multi-entity private structure.
- Technical depth in tax, trusts, accounting, consolidation, treasury and investment reporting. CPA and/or CFA strongly preferred; trust and estate tax training a plus.
- Proven record of leading complex projects and managing accountants, counsel and other advisers to an outcome.
- Exposure to real estate, operating businesses and insurance or risk management.
- Experience working directly with a principal and handling confidential family matters with discretion.
- Intellectually curious about technology and AI: not a specialist, but able to move from experimentation to implementation.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES AND WORKING ARRANGEMENT
- A natural leader who influences through soft power: people follow because they want to.
- High IQ and high EQ, combined with a real sense of urgency and humility.
- Highly organized, so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Practical, grounded and low-ego; not corporate, political or theatrical.
- Confident enough to challenge the principal intelligently, and useful across the office without adding bureaucracy.
This is an on-site role at the family office in the Greater Philadelphia area. The family is seeking a long-term partnership and will offer a competitive package of base salary, discretionary bonus and long-term incentive.
The selection process includes interviews with the principal and senior advisers, and a practical case exercise on identifying and prioritizing risks across the office.
